The trainer and fighter involved in the sparring session that left Nick Blackwell in hospital are to appeal against the punishments handed down by the British Boxing Board of Control.

Trainer Liam Wilkins had his licence withdrawn and light-heavyweight Hasan Karkardi was given a six-month suspension after the incident involving Blackwell.

The retired middleweight, 26, who was forced to stop fighting after suffering a bleed on the skull in March, required surgery to reduce swelling on his brain after sparring Karkardi.

A joint statement from Wilkins, 21, and Karkardi, 29, read: "We will be challenging both the board's procedure and their findings as to the facts, which were made in the face of a (sic) substantial documentary and witness evidence to the contrary.

Blackwell recovering in hospital in December (Image: Twitter)

"We will be making no further comment until the appeal process has concluded."

At the time the BBBofC announced the punishments, it described Wilkins' conduct as "detrimental to the interests of boxing".

The panel determined that their conduct was “detrimental to the interests of boxing.”

Blackwell was forced to walk away from in-ring action in April 2016 after suffering a bleed to the skull and was put into a medically-induced coma following his defeat to Chris Eubank Jnr a month earlier.

Blackwell's licence was withdrawn in October and he was looking to return to the sport as a trainer.